Roasted Roots with Whipped Goat Cheese

Winter means root vegetables, and no better day to roast some up than a snow day from work. And if you’re gonna roast some veggies, might as well do a nice big batch. I got carrots, beets, and turnips in my CSA on Saturday. Well, I’ve never been crazy about carrots, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve eaten beets, and I’ve never had a turnip in my life!

CSA root veggies

So I went into this with a positive mentality: If I wasn’t crazy about the veggies, I’d at least have some delicious whipped goat cheese to dunk them in. Turns out, roasting just about anything makes it taste pretty good!

The carrots taste bright yet caramelized, the beets are sweet and earthy, and the turnips turn crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. And the dip doesn’t hurt either. Though, of course, as soon as the beets come in contact with it, this happens…

At least it’s pretty! And delicious spread on some homemade bread, too.

Roasted Roots with Whipped Goat Cheese

For the veggies: This technique works with whatever hardy roots you like. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Thoroughly wash the veggies and trim off the tops and bottoms. Cut veggies into 2″ chunks and toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, flipping every 20 minutes or so, until easily pierced with a fork. If you’re roasting beets, wrap them in a foil before sticking them in the oven. I prefer to peel the beets before I cook them, I feel the juice stains less when raw.

For the whipped goat cheese:

2 oz goat cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup Greek yogurt, room temperature

2-3 cloves of roasted garlic (or 1 raw clove, minced)

2 tbsp olive oil

juice of half a lemon

Thoroughly mix together all ingredients with an immersion blender, blender, or food processor. Season to taste with salt. Try to wait to eat it til the veggies come out of the oven.